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Who owns cats?
Around one in four UK households owns at least one dog, while around one in five households owns a cat.
Cat owners are more likely to be female and younger than those who don’t own cats, indicate the results of a household survey of one semi-rural community in the UK.

Around one in four UK households owns at least one dog, while around one in five households owns a cat.

That translates into around 10 million dogs and 7 million cats in the UK, which differs from patterns seen in several other countries where cats now outnumber dogs as pets.

The researchers surveyed 1278 households in a community in Cheshire, in the north west of England. They used face to face doorstep interviews to find out if there was a particular profile for cat ownership.

The households were all located on the edge of a town in a semi rural community. Occupants, all of whom were over the age of 16, were asked for details about their household, such as age, sex, and employment, and whether they owned any pets.

All male households were significantly less likely to own a cat than mixed households, whilst female only households were more likely to do so.
The results, which were based on responses from 1142 households, showed that just over half (52%) owned a pet. Around one in four (24%) owned a dog, while around one in five (22%) owned a cat.

When all the other factors were analysed, the findings showed that cat owners were significantly more likely to own a horse.

Households with just one dog were less likely to own a cat than those with no dog, but those with several dogs were more likely to own cats.

All male households were significantly less likely to own a cat than mixed households, whilst female only households were more likely to do so.

Those aged between 20 and 59 were significantly more likely to own a cat than those aged 60 and above, as were households with children.

The benefits of pet ownership on health and wellbeing are many, say the authors, noting how few older people owned a pet in their survey.
The authors caution that their study focuses on one small geographically defined area and so can’t be taken as automatically applicable to the rest of the UK. But the percentage of the population found to be pet owners does reflect national figures, they say, adding: “the results gained from this study may at least be indicative of similar communities in the UK.”

The benefits of pet ownership on health and wellbeing are many, say the authors, noting how few older people owned a pet in their survey.

“The elderly are a group that may be most isolated and would benefit from the companionship of a pet, as well as having something to care for,” they suggest.

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.